Wrath Of A Wraith
by Todd's Pet
Summary: A Todd love story but he's a little more wraithie than I usually write him - and the heroine has to endure some serious whumping to earn his love! Small sex scene full of Toddy goodness! If there are any Boris fans out there I do not apologise, so there!


**Wrath Of A Wraith**

Todd doesn't really like this part of the cull. Wraith have to feed, it's what they are, but he doesn't really see the need to take human females as slaves, certainly not unwilling ones. Still, the officers insist on what they see as their fair share of worshippers, and if there are not enough willing humans to go round, well…

He watches impatiently as the enormous wraith Commander the humans contemptuously named Boris takes his time choosing. Todd has to admit it's a pretty poor show this time, but there's one that catches his eye.

It seems she's also caught Boris's eye.

"I'll take that one," Boris says, almost as if he is bored with it all.

"Wait," Todd tells the drones. He steps up close to the woman and, unusually, she looks him straight in the eye, unflinching. "What is your name?" he asks her.

"Her name is unimportant," Boris snaps as he waves his hand at the two drones that hold her clamped between them. Todd glares at the other wraith as he turns to walk away with his prize.

As they drag her away, she turns to look at Todd over her shoulder. "Barbara," she says, "My name is Barbara."

-oOo-

Barbara… Todd finds himself repeating the name over and over in his head. He emphasizes different syllables each time, trying out the sound of the different ways of saying it.

He finds himself understanding why humans place such importance on names. It has an almost hypnotic sound to it; soft and gently rounded, yet also strong and defiant. The name suits her.

When he becomes conscious of his own thoughts he shakes his head vigorously, as if the action will rid him of the image of her.

He has always found defiance attractive in humans, he has even taken one or two human women himself when he found one who was willing but also strong-willed enough for his taste.

But this one… this woman has crawled beneath his skin.

-oOo-

"Come here, human!"

"I haven't finished what you told me to do ten minutes ago!" Barbara snaps.

"You will attend to my needs, human – now!"

"Wash your clothes, tidy your quarters, fetch your reports, massage your back… I can't do it all at once and I can't do it all in ten minutes! You have to make up your mind what you want me to do and give me the time I need to do it!"

She knows it was the wrong thing to say and the wrong way to say it as soon as the words leave her mouth. But by then it's too late and the huge wraith is striding across the room towards her, his enormous hands poised to either grab her or feed on her, she never knows which it might be.

She does know one thing, though: she flatly refuses to cower.

Even as he beats her, she refuses to plead with him or beg for his mercy.

-oOo-

Todd sees her passing the junction of the two corridors and before he knows what he's doing, he has veered off into the side corridor and is now following her through the hive.

She isn't tall, even for a human, but she holds herself proudly so that she appears tall. She's carrying a bundle of clothing and as she turns a sharp corner some of the folds fall from her arm and he sees the bruises. Almost simultaneously she passes beneath a pool of light and Todd sees the swollen bruise on her cheek and the cut on her lip.

Involuntarily he takes in a sharp breath as he feels his guts twist.

He increases his pace until he catches up with her and places his hand gently on her shoulder.

She whirls around to face him as if she expects to see her own death in his face.

"Who did this to you?" he demands, nodding to the marks on her face.

She lifts her chin defiantly as she says, "A wraith. Like yourself."

As her head tilts into the light Todd can see teeth marks in the delicate skin where her neck meets her shoulders.

"He has bitten you. He mates with you?"

"Isn't that just another one of my duties?" she asks, her voice dripping with venom. "Why does it concern you anyway, Wraith?"

"It concerns me because accepting mistreatment and beatings is not one of your duties," Todd says sharply before he turns on his heel and walks away from her.

He can sense her watching him with curiosity as he goes and he looks over his own shoulder at her. "Todd," he says. "My name is Todd."

-oOo-

Todd… Todd… an incongruously gentle name for a wraith, she thinks to herself, the sound of it almost friendly, comforting.

Just as his face haunts her dreams at night, so she frequently catches herself saying his name to herself over and over again at the strangest moments in her day.

When the huge wraith she is enslaved to snarls in her face, she sees Todd's face and merely smiles inwardly.

When he demands some personal service of her, she hears Todd's gently concerned deep voice in her head and it strengthens her spirit.

When the ogre forces himself on her at night she repeats Todd's name over and over in her head as if it were a talisman to protect her from harm and sooth her to sleep.

-oOo-

Boris storms angrily into his quarters without warning. He bears down on Barbara, swinging his arm up and across towards her as he goes. His backhanded punch, with all his immense weight behind it, lands squarely on her cheek. Before her body even begins to react to the force of the blow, he follows through with his left hand, grabbing her tightly by the throat and lifting her off her feet.

Choking through the pressure she splutters, "What? What have I done?"

"You have been complaining about me! It's all around the hive!"

"How could I? Who would listen to me? Why would anyone even care?"

The wraith glowers deeply into her eyes and sees she is not lying. He sees nothing but defiance and insolence, but she is not lying. He lets go of his grip on her throat and she falls to the floor in a crumpled, gasping heap. Frustrated, the wraith swings his foot and Barbara grunts as it connects with her stomach and knocks every ounce of breath out of her in one go.

She lies on the floor, curled up into a ball and hugging her knees to herself, waiting for the pain to ebb to a bearable level.

Todd, she thinks. Only this time the name does not bring comfort.

-oOo-

"How could you do that to me?" she hisses through her teeth. "Surely you knew it would only make him worse!"

"I did not think the wraith I spoke to would tell anyone, let alone him," Todd says defensively. "I will deal with him."

Two wraith pass them in the corridor and they both look away from each other, trying to appear casual.

As soon as they are out of sight, Barbara rounds on Todd, saying, "Please do not interfere again, you are not helping me!"

Todd is astounded to find that, in a moment like this, all he can think of is the fire that now flashes in her angry green eyes and the contrast they make with her copper hair.

"I am a wraith. What makes you think I was trying to help you?" he says, even more astounded to hear the wounded tone in his own voice.

Her anger fades instantly and she tilts her head to one side and looks deep into his eyes. He suddenly feels quite vulnerable, as if she were able to see into his soul.

"I don't know why I think that," she tells him, feeling just as amazed as he probably does, "I just know that you think this is wrong and you want to help me… protect me…"

Insanely, standing as they are in the middle of a corridor on the hive, Todd takes hold of her by the shoulders and draws her to him. "Then let me do that," he says to her. "I have recently acquired my own hive and will be leaving soon. I will take you with me – if you are willing."

"Yes," she says, surprised at how quickly and strongly she is being drawn to this… this wraith – and even more surprised to find herself allowing him to gently lead her to his own quarters.

-oOo-

In the gloomy darkness of his room, they explore each other hungrily; she never knew anyone could be capable of such passion yet such gentleness at the same time let alone a wraith.

His kisses make her feel breathless from wanting him; his caresses make her feel cherished; his eyes make her feel loved.

He's kneeling on the bed, sitting back on his heels and she swings her leg around to sit astride him, lowers herself down onto him as slowly as her thigh muscles will let her. He leans his head back and closes his eyes, letting out a low, soft growl.

She wraps her arms around him, revelling in the heat of his body and in his arms wrapped around her. She strokes the long hair hanging down his back, feeling the hard ridges of his spine under the softness of his hair.

She pulls his hair away from his back, bunching it up into one ponytail and flicking it over his shoulder so it hangs down the front of his chest, then she strokes slowly and gently up and down the length of his spine. Shivers run through his whole body in time with her fingers as he nuzzles her neck and shoulders.

She knows he can't help himself from biting but his sharp teeth don't pierce her flesh as the other wraith's so cruelly did; instead his gentle, almost playful bites send shivers of pleasure down her own spine.

He is literally quivering under her hands like the stretched string of a drawn bow, when suddenly and without warning he throws his head back and lets out a loud, deep roar, his face contorted in a snarl, his yellow eyes glittering fiercely and his entire body tight as a drum.

She can sense he is trying hard not to dig his claws into her back – even now he has the self control to not want to hurt her!

This unexpected awareness of his thoughtfulness of her makes her suddenly relax, and the second she does so, her own climax thunders through her body, making her arch her back as a long, deep sigh escapes her lips.

Just as suddenly his tension subsides like a flash flood and his body slumps forward, his head falling to rest between her breasts.

He is breathing heavily but making a soft, quiet noise in his throat, almost like purring. She holds him close and strokes his long white hair, now damp with sweat, rocking him and crooning to him.

As she holds him she understands that she belongs with this gentle wraith and vows from that moment on to stand by his side for the rest of her life.

-oOo-

"Do not think you can escape me so easily, human!" Boris growls at her as soon as she returns to his quarters. "I know all about your little plan to jump hive!"

The huge, ugly wraith has her cornered in his quarters and she knows there is no way she can escape him. She says nothing but tilts her chin in that defiant way that she can't help but that always inflames this wraith's rage.

"You will tell me who he is – and who all his accomplices are!"

She doesn't know that much about wraith telepathy but she does sense that this one is not sophisticated enough to get deep inside her mind. She has to do something to keep her thoughts shielded from him, to protect Todd and his supporters.

She discovers that she can wipe her mind of anything of any use to this brute by focusing all her thoughts on the pain. As Boris beats her to within an inch of her life she begins to comprehend how much she is willing to endure in order to protect Todd… to protect the one she loves…

-oOo-

Thrown out into the corridor and left for dead, Barbara can do nothing but lie there and wait for her fate – probably the first wraith who comes along to feed on her. She feels as if every bone in her body is broken in several places and her own blood feels slick on the floor beneath her.

She hears someone coming and sees two soldier drones stride around the corner. Determined not to die here like this she tries to crawl into the shadows where they won't see her.

But it's too late and one of them strides over to her.

He stands looming over her for a moment, as if thinking – no, she realizes, he's receiving orders – then he picks her up, far more gently than she ever thought a drone could, and carries her away, cradling her securely in his arms as if she were something precious.

-oOo-

She tries to protect herself with her arms but knows the futility of her efforts when she feels the strong hands grasp her wrists and hold them still. Then she becomes aware that she is dreaming and wakes with a start. Over the shoulder of the one who is holding her she sees two drones and the panic sets her arms in motion again until she focuses more closely on the face in front of her.

She could weep with relief when she sees Todd.

He is holding her hands against his own chest and leaning towards her making soft, soothing noises from deep in his throat. She focuses on the sound he is making and the gentle glow of his amber eyes and feels calm begin to start to return to her soul.

But with it comes such a rush of relief to know that she is alive and safe and with Todd, that she cannot stop her tears from flowing unchecked.

He pulls her closer to him and she melts into the warmth of him, allowing him to comfort her as she lets go of all her fear and hatred and pain.

-oOo-

"Thank you for healing me… even though…"

"I know you do not approve of what I am," Todd says with gentle understanding in his voice, "But it is what I am and I cannot change that.

I know that humans are more than cattle but I still need to feed to survive. I have learned to separate – "

"I love you as you are and I do not need you to change," Barbara suddenly interrupts.

The look on Todd's face reflects perfectly the surprise and turmoil she herself feels at her own words and she inwardly thanks him for changing the subject.

"You know that the situation is far more desperate now than it was. He has destroyed my hive, but fortunately most of my crew were not yet aboard. I have no choice, Barbara… I must take over this hive."

Todd is pacing the floor now as he continues, "I have already gained control of most of the drones but he still has a sizeable number of loyal officers. It will by necessity involve much violence and killing… I know I do not have your approval, but I would ask for your support."

Barbara sighs deeply. "You are a wraith Commander – or soon will be – you do not need my approval… but you will always have my support."

"Then we will succeed," says Todd.

-oOo-

Todd speaks in a gruff whisper to the small huddle of wraith officers at the end of the corridor. Barbara can still overhear the odd phrase as she stands lookout for them at the corner.

One of them in particular eyes her suspiciously and mutters something about not trusting a human present at all, let alone keeping watch for them.

Todd fixes the grumbling wraith with an icy stare and tells them, "She is the only reason you are all still alive! He beat her until her life hung by a thread, healed her, then beat her again. He did this repeatedly for several days until even he gave up…"

Several of the wraith cast respectful looks her way and one or two of them look at their own shuffling feet, knowing they would be hard pushed to endure that themselves.

Todd presses the point by saying directly to the wraith who had complained, "Would you have done that for me?"

The wraith gives her a sideways glance and replies, "My apologies, Commander. I did not think humans had such strength of will."

"Some do," Todd sighs. He allows himself one look at the woman who had endured so much for him, and swears inwardly that he will not allow it all to have been for nothing.

He straightens his spine, rallies his supporters and finishes his business mere moments before Barbara hisses that someone is coming and they all scatter.

-oOo-

The clamorous noise of weapons fire crowds in around her even through the walls of Todd's quarters. The battle has raged for hours and she has no way of knowing who is winning. She cannot stand it any longer and finally defies Todd's orders by leaving the relative safety of the room.

She has never cowered in her life and she refuses to continue to hide like this – if Todd is to die today then she will also die, fighting by his side.

As she runs through the confusion and mayhem she drags two weapons from the dead bodies of wraith littering the corridors. Ready to fire with both hands if needs be, she suddenly realizes with horror that, without telepathy, she has no way of knowing which wraith are loyal to Todd.

Rather than risk firing on friendly wraith, she tucks the weapons into her coat and runs towards the centre of the ship, towards the thick of the battle, where her instincts tell her she will find Todd.

When she gets to the wide, open space in the centre of the ship the scene before her is one of carnage, wraith and drone alike lie dead and dying. Small groups of wraith have abandoned their weapons and are engaged in hand to hand combat, some of them feeding on others.

She recognizes some of the fallen wraith as officers she's seen Todd with and fear grips her heart that the battle might not be going well for Todd.

Without warning, the fighting subsides, and vanquished wraith appear to simply give up and allow themselves to be led off to cells. She doesn't need telepathy to tell her that this means one of the Commanders has been victorious.

Frantically she searches through the clearing smoke for Todd. Then she sees him…

-oOo-

Todd holds the weapon to Boris's head, his finger twitching on the trigger. He can see the expression of mixed relief and horror on her face from the corner of his eye, but notes that at least she says nothing. For a human, she understands wraith pride.

"Take him away!" Todd growls to his drones and scowls as he watches them drag the wounded and fallen Commander to a lock-down cell.

As soon as they're alone he rounds on her, "I cannot allow him to live! Surely you understand that?"

She lowers her eyes to the floor and speaks softly when she says, "I understand… but…"

"No! There can be no buts!" he tells her harshly. "If I am to take command – if we are to stay alive, both of us! – I cannot show any weakness! After what he did to you, how can you even think of mercy?"

"Mercy is not weakness…" she offers. But she knows she is in a completely different world now, the world of wraith, and she knows that her values can never mean anything here.

In spite of her words, Todd can see in her resigned expression that she understands more than she thinks she does.

"Believe me I do have feelings… feelings for you…" he reaches out to touch her face. "But I do not have the luxury of being able to allow those feelings to show. Not if I am to keep us both alive."

She tilts her head into his touch, feeling the little tingle as she presses her cheek to his palm. "I understand," she says quietly.

-oOo-

Todd has commanded her to stay away if she cannot face the execution without showing pity. But he also expressed a wish that she be publicly seen to support him. She is sitting alone in the dark, torn in two and weeping, feeling sorry for herself.

Barbara knows that she must learn to live in Todd's world or else give him up completely and never see him again.

Even the thought of it makes her heart cry out for the loss of him.

Hardening her resolve she wipes away her tears roughly with her sleeve and rises to walk to the main hall.

She will watch this execution. She will stand tall and proud next to Todd and show every wraith in this hive who she truly belongs with.

-oOo-

Todd holds the huge sword aloft and for a second he and Boris lock eyes. In that second Todd knows what, as a wraith, he must do to survive.

His face contorts into a snarl as he hefts the sword around and down, parting the huge wraith's head from his shoulders before he even has time to register the shock of it.

Todd roars in triumph as he turns to face the assembled wraith, swinging the sword around with him as he turns and splattering them all with the blood of their fallen Commander.

As Todd glares at them, the dripping sword still in his hand, every single one of them bows to their new Commander.

In that brief moment Barbara finally understands his strength, his honor, his will to survive.

Spontaneously she lowers herself to one knee in front of him and he puts his hand on top of her bowed head in acknowledgement of her show of loyalty to him.

She can feel the blood of his enemy run from his hand and slowly seep down the length of her hair. The sensation of it awakens something in her she didn't know was there as her mind finds words for her feelings…

Todd is where he belongs; she is where she belongs.

And she has been avenged.

The End


End file.
